Photographic-printing machine



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M. METZGER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 1920 5' Sheets-Sheet 1 ll i 0 e u mxww Lmk \WMW v r In W Wa

Aug. 25, 1925; 1,550,915 M. METZGER I -PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING MACHINE Fi led May 19 1920 5 sheets-Sheet 2 zwemar Maurice Ne/z'zgar M. METZGER' PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE File d May 19, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3

URUELIF/EFI Aug, 25, 1925.

M. METZGER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 19 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q/M/V Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,915

M. METZGER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1920 '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 6 FIG. 9

Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE METZGER, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

PHOTOGRAPI-II C-PBINTING MACHINE.

Application filed May 19, 1920. Serial No. 382,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE Mmzenn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printi11g ll iachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in printing machinery and more particularly to improvements in photographic printing machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine which will take sensitized paper from a pile, place the same over a negative, press the paper and negative tightly together and then discharge the paper and pick up a fresh sheet.

A. further object is to provide a machine which will automatically control the operation of the source of light, so as to avoid unnecessary expense and eliminate the escape of light into the studio.

A still further object is to provide a machine, the operation of which is entirely positive and which does not depend upon unreliable forces such as friction or suction for the movement of the paper.

Still another object is to provide a machine which will automatically number the prints as made, so that they may be readily sorted and identified.

The device consists briefly of a base carrying a hood having a transparent top upon which a negative is laid and also carrying a framework, containing a paper supporting table and an oscillating element adapted to transfer paper from the table to the top of the hood and back again. The framework also carries means for pressing the paper against a negative for receiving the printed paper and for delivering sheets one at a time from the table to the oscillating transporting mechanism.

In the drawings which illustrate the in vention- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the right hand side of the device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left hand side of the device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 41, Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the table stop.

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive are similar views illustrating diagrammatically the operation of transferring sheets from the table to the printing point and back and of selecting and delivering individual sheets to the transferring means.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates a base which may contain any suitable source of light 12, shown as an electric incandescent lamp, located toward one end thereof under an opening 13 through which light rises into the hood 14:, which is provided with an apertured top plate 15 carrying a transparent panel 16 of glass or other suitable material. The glass may be covered by a mat or mats 17 having an aperture 18 of any suitable shape for the purpose of limiting the size and shape of the printed picture in the well known manner. A bar 19 is provided at each side of the plate 15 parallel with and spaced a short distance from the plate edge. These bars form guides under which a roll film may pass when the same may be held flat across the plate 16 and prevented from curling. A lever 20 is pivoted at any suitable point and provided at one end with a weight 21. The opposite end of this lever is guided between one of the bars 19 and the adjacent edge of the plate 15 and is urged by the weight of the opposite end toward the rear edge of the plate, so as to press against the front edge of the film and urge the same against the adjustable back stops 22 secured to the plate. A shaft 23 is revolubly mounted on the plate 15 and carries a pair of spring fingers 24: adapted to press down upon the edge of the film and hold the same against movement. The shaft carries an operating arm 25 engaged by a spring 26 carried by the plate 15 and operative to normally press the fingers 24 down upon the glass 16.

A pair of similar side frame members 27 are mounted on the base 11 in any suitable manner and are held rigidly in spaced relation by suitable transverse frame members 28. The frames are provided with lugs 29 which may be connected to the top plate 15 to preserve proper alignment between the frames and the hood 14. Each frame member carries an outwardly oflset bracket provided with an adjustable stop 31.

A shaft 32 is journalled in the frames 27 and is adapted at one extremity for connection with a crank to operate the machine by hand. At the opposite extremity, the shaft has fixed thereto a pinion 83 over which runs a chain 34 passing down into the base 11. This chain may be connected in any suitable manner for operating the machine by a foot pedal. An arm 35 is connected to the pinion and to the plunger 36 of a pivotally mounted dash pct 37, which operates in the well known manner to control the operation of the device. Toward each end of the shaft 32, an arm 38 is revolubly mounted on the shaft, said arms projecting forwardly and over the sides of the top plate 15. Each arm engages in one position with the stop 31 to limit upward movement of the arm. Levers 39 are rigidly fixed to the shaft 82 adjacent the arms 38 and are each provided with an adjustable stop 40 adapted to engage the adjacent arm 38 to move the same. Each arm is further provided with a spur 41 connected at its free end to one end of a. spring 42, the opposite end of which is connected to any suitable fixed point in the machine. These springs are operative to normally maintain the arms in elevated position as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A presser frame 43 is hingedly mounted at one edge on the outer end portion of each arm and is provided with a cam lever 44, engaging the adjacent bracket 30 and operative on the downward swing of the arm 88 to rock the frame from its normal vertical position as shown to a horizontal position. A spring 45 is connected between each frame and the arm carrying it in a manner to urge the frame to vertical position and to hold the cam 44 always in engagement with the bracket. Each presser frame carries a presser plate 46 supported by two headed pins 47 passing loosely through the frame 43 and having limited sliding movement therethrough, so that the plates may be moved toward and away from the frame and may be slightly rocked in their longitudinal and transverse directions. The heads of these pins are pressed by a spring 48 secured to the frame, so that the plates are normally held at their maximum distance from the frames. The arms 38 are of such length and the presser plates of such size and disposition that when the arms are downwardly swung the plates will unite to form a cover over the entire surface of the transparent hood top 16, each plate being movable independently of its carrying frame as above described, in order that it may adapt itself to any inaccuracies in the mounting or movement of the frame carrying it and may exert a uniform pressure over its entire surface to press sensitized paper firmly and uniformly against a negative on the glass plate 16.

One of the arms 38 is provided with a linger 49 adapted in the last part of the downward movement of the arm to engage the operating member 50 of a switch of any suitable type, for the purpose of operating the switch to complete the circuit of the lamp 12, the switch being of any suitable spring construction which will automatically break the circuit when relieved from pressure of the finger 49.

A short shaft 51 is ournalled in an extension of the left hand bracket 30 and carries at its outer end a lever 52, which is drawn by means of a spring against a roller 54 mounted on the pinion 33. The lever 52 is of sufficient length to rest upon the hub of the pinion, so that it does not follow the full movement of the roller 54 but is operated by the roller only when the same rises above the hub of the pinion. The opposite end of the shaft 51 has rigidly connected thereto an arm carrying a revoluble inking device 56, such as a roll of felt saturated with a non-volatile ink. hen the roll 54 passes through the upper part of its path, the ink roll 56 is car 'ied across the type of a nun'ibering device 57 resiliently mounted on the adjacent presser frame. When the lever is out of engagement with the roll 54 and at rest upon the hub of the pinion, the ink roll is moved out of engagement with the numbering device and out of the path. of the presser frame. A table carrier 58 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on a shaft 51) extending transversely between the frames 27. A table 60 is mounted on the carrier by means of a leg 61 sliding vertically in the carrier, so that the table may be vertically adjusted. Paper on the table, designated 62, is held against movement transversely of the machine by pins (33, which may be set in any one of a number of holes 64 in the table according to the size of paper used. The paper is also held against movement longitudinally of the machine by spring-pressed fingers 65, which urge the paper against a front plate 36 supported by the carrier close to the front edge of the table. This front plate is provided with openings 67 exposing the front edges of the sheets of paper. The table carrier 58 is urged to swing forwardly by a spring 68 connected between it and a fixed point of the machine. An adjustable stop 69 is provided on one of the frames 27 to limit forward movement of the table carrier. Normally the table is held against such forward movement by a spring-pressed pawl 70 thereon engaging a stop 71 carried by one of the frames 27 This stop is provided with a small projection 72 against which the pawl is held by its spring and which holds the pawl against disengagement from the stop by the pressure of its spring.

The table is held against dropping from any vertical position to which it is adjusted by means of a pawl 73 engaging a fine ratchet toothed rack 74 mounted on the leg of the table. This pawl is carried by a rocker 75 pivotally mounted on the table carrier 58 and urged to upward movement by a spring 76 connected between itself and a suitable point on the carrier. It will be obvious that the spring 76 will lift the rocker 75 and pawl 73 to follow upward and forward movement of the rack and table and will yield to permit downward movement of the same. The table is gradually raised as the paper is removed in order to keep the top sheet of paper always at the same level. This raising is effected by means of a pawl 77 carried by a lever 78, which may conveniently be fulcrumed 0n the shaft 59 pivoting the table carrier. At each operation of the machine, this lever is rocked in the manner hereinafter described to raise the pawl 77 and table. During the first part of the tables upward movement, the spring 76 raises the rocker 75 and pawl 73 with the table, this pawl movement continuing until the spring 76 is under no load, whereupon the movement of the table continues and the rack 74 slips under the pawl 73. Vhen the lever 78 returns to its original position, it lowers the pawl 77 and the table drops with the pawl until the weight of the table is supported by the spring 76, whereupon downward movement of the table is stopped and the pawl 77 rides over the rack during the remainder of movement to its lower position. A small shaft 79 is journalled in the frames 27 and carries an arm 80 located under the pawls 7 3 and 77. A finger lever 81 is secured to one end of this shaft, preferably outside the frame, where it may be conveniently reached for the purpose of rocking the shaft 79 and inclining the arm 80 to lift both pawls away from the rack and release the table for movement to a lower position when a fresh supply of paper is being placed thereon.

A pair of cams 82 and 83 are mounted respectively on the right and left hand sides of the machine on the shaft 32. The cam 82 is provided with a recessed portion 84 and a projecting portion 85. The projecting portion 85 engages at suitable times with a roller 86 mounted on the pawl 70, for the purpose of thrusting back the pawl and the table carrier to which it is connected, so that the pawl may engage the stop 71 to hold the table in its normal position. The cam 82 is further provided with a pair of projecting pins 87 and 88, the former of which is adapted to engage the pawl 70 and depress it out of engagement with the stop 71 to release the table carrier for forward movement. The other pin 88 is adapted to engage one end of a lever 89 pivoted at any suitable point, for example, on a shaft 90 extending between the frames 27. This lever 89 operates the lever 78 through a resilient connection 91 and controls the gradual raising of the table as previously described.

A shaft 92 is journalled transversely of the machine in the frames 27 and has revolubly mounted thereon a lever 93 provided at one end with a roller 94, adapted to travel on the edge of the cam 82 and to drop into the recess 84 thereof. The opposite end of this lever is laterally directed and normally rests upon a pivoted hook or catch 95 mounted on the front plate 66 of the table, but spaced from the front plate sufiiciently for the end of the lever to be disengaged from the catch by the forward movement of the table carrier. When the lever 93 is thus disengaged from the catch '95, it is rocked by a spring 96 connected between itself and a fixed point on the machine and thereby'rotates the shaft 92. Upon disengagement of the lever and hook, the roller bearing end of the lever enters the recess 84 of the cam and the lever is returned to normal position by revolution of the cam forcing the roller out of the recess. Such return of the lever to normal position is timed to occur when the table is in its nor mal rearmost position, so that the catch 95 is in position to engage the lever.

A third and smaller cam 96 is mounted on the shaft 32 and engages a roller 97 mounted on one end of a lever 98, fulcrumed on the shaft 92 but free from the shaft. The opposite end of this lever is connected by a link 99 with a lever 100 fixed to a shaft 101 journalled transversely of the machine between the frames 27. A pair of arms 102 are fixed each at one end to the shaft 101 and extend, generally speaking, forwardly from said shaft. The forward ends of said arms are provided with upwardly and forwardly sloping extensions 103. One of the arms is provided with a lateral extension 104 adapted to engage a spring-pressed hook or catch 105 pivotally mounted on the front plate 66 to hold the arms in substantially horizontal position. A paper holder 106 is connected between the arms 102 and presses lightly upon the pile of paper 62 on the table 60 when the arms 102 are in their lowered positions.

A spring 107 is connected between the lever 98 and any suitable fixed point on the framework and is operative to draw down the rearward arm of the lever 98, thereby rockin the shaft 101 and raising the arms 102 an paper holder 106 to the elevated position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The arm exten sion 104 and the catch 105 are of such width that they will be disengaged upon the forward movement of the table carrier 58, thus releasing this part of the mechanism to the action of the spring 107. The form and disposition of the cam 96 is such that the lever 98 will be free to move when the arms 102 are unlatched, so that the spring will raise them sharply to the position shown. These arms 102 with their extensions 103 when in lowered position form a cradle for the reception of the printed sheets and are designed upon their sharp upward movement to discharge from the machine a printed sheet deposited on them and at the same time to release unprinted paper on the table 60 for transfer to the printing point. The cam 96 also engages the arm 25 to operate the fingers 24 as previously described.

The paper transporting mechanism comprises an arm 108 pivotally mounted on the shaft 32 and free to move independently of the shaft. This arm is normally held against an adjustable stop 109 on one of the cams 82 or 83 by means of a spring 110 connected between the arm and either of the cams. This loose connection between the shaft and the arm 108 is to enable the shaft to continue revolution after the arm has been moved to bring paper to the printing pointbut at all other times the arm moves as if fixed to the shaft. The arm carries a pair of spaced rigid fingers 111 and a pair of spring fingers 112 superposed on the fingers 111, said rigid and spring fingers being in engagement at their tips as clearly shown. These fingers 111 and 112 are so formed that they are spaced apart between their tips and the free end of the arm 108 to receive cams 113 formed on the ends of a shaft 114 journalled in the arm 108. The cams 113 are operated to force the spring fingers away from the rigid fingers by means of a lever 115 connected to the shaft 114 and projecting into the path of a lever 116 rigidly connected to the lever 93. As the arm 108 swings rearwardly and downwardly, the lever 115, which it will be noted is at an angle to the arm, is pressed toward the arm by its engagement with the lever 116 and thus operates the cam to separate the rigid and spring fingers for the reception of paper. Normally the lever 110 is stationary and acts simply as an abutment or cam against which the lever 115 is moved but, when the lever 93 is disengaged from its catch 95, the lever 116 moves with it and disengages the lever 115, thus releasing the fingers 112 for return to their normal positions.

In order to select from the pile 62 the top sheet and position the same, suitably for embracement between the fingers 111 and 112, there is provided a sheet separating and a sheet holding means. The sheet separating means comprises a pair of fingers 117 having tips 118 of soft rubber or other suitable material, which will frictionally engage the edge of paper sheets on the table. These fingers are located in vertical planes close to and parallel with the fingers 111, both sets of fingers operating through the openings 67 in the table front 66. The fingers 117 are pivotally mounted at the extremity of a short arm 119 fixed to the shaft 92, the fingers lying at an angle of approximately sixty degrees to the plane of the paper and the tips 118 thereof projecting through the slots 67 into engagement with the front edge of the paper. Owing to the inclination of the fingers, it is obvious that they will engage only the topmost sheet of the pile. Fixed to the shaft 92 is a short arm 120 carrying at its extremity a roller 121, which engages the edge of the cam 83, this cam being formed to slightly rock the arm 120 and the shaft 92 and thereby raise and lower the fingers 117 in substantially their longitudinal direction. The fingers are normally lightly pressed against the edge of the paper by springs 122 connected between the fingers and a short arm 123 fixed to a shaft 124 journalled in the frames 27. To one end of this shaft, there is fixed an arm 125 which may be locked in any one of a number of positions by engagement of a pin 126 carried thereby in apertures 127 in one of the frames 27. By this means the tension of the springs 122 and the pressure of the fingers 117 against the paper may be regulated. A lever 128 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 90 journalled transversely of the machine in the frames 27 between the fingers and the table carrier. The upper end of this lever is provided with a roller 130 running on the edge of the cam 83 but at a point remote from the roller 121 and adapted to enter a recess 131 of the cam. The opposite end of the lever forms a tail 132 adapted when the roller 130 enters the cam notch 131 to project substantially into engagement with the table carrier 58. The shaft 90 carries a pair of arms 133 which lie under or against the back edges of the fingers 117 and control the engagement and disengagement of the fingers and the paper. It will thus be seen that the movement of the fingers is controlled by the profile of the cam 83 through two channels.

A paper holder 134 is pivoted to the table front 66 between the fingers 117. This holder is, as clearly shown, a thin plate having an overhanging, forwardly projecting lip 135 at its upper end, which may be projected into position under a sheet of paper raised by the fingers 117. A spring 136 is provided between the opposite end of the holder and any suitable point on the machine. The shaft 90 carries a third arm 137 which engages the holder 134 and co-operates with the spring 136 in determining the movement thereof. A spring 138 is connected between the lever 128 and any suitable point in the machine to hold the roller 130 against the face of the cam 83.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the parts are in approximately their proper relative positions with respect to the position and movement of the paper transporting device as indicated. Briefly described, the operation consists in the selection and separation of the top sheet of the pile on the table, its transfer by the fingers 111 and 112 to the printing point, the descent of the cradle to hold the paper on the table during selection of the top sheet and to receive a printed sheet, and the descent of the presser plates upon the paper. These operations occur on what may be called the positive stroke and they are all initiated by movement of the shaft 32 in a contraclockwise direction through approximately 240 degrees. The remainder of the operation occurs during the reverse revolution of the shaft 32 through an equal angle. These operations are the release and rise of the presser plates, the separation of the top sheet from the remainder of the paper on the table, the transfer of the printed sheet and its deposit on the cradle, the rise of the cradle to discharge the printed paper and give passage for the removal of the top sheet from the table, and finally the delivery of the top sheet to the transporting fingers. The actual delivery of paper to the transporting fingers is efiected by the forward movement of the table.

Assuming a sheet of paper to be gripped between the fingers 111 and 112, the shaft 32 is revolved in contraclockwise direction, turning with it the cams 82 and 83 and swinging with it the paper transporting fingers to a position over the glass plate 16. In the first part of the operation, the projection 85 of the cam 82 presses back the table carrier to normal position, so that its holding pawl re-engages the frame stop 71. Simultaneously with this movement, the roller 94 climbs out of the recess 84 of the cam 82, rocking the lever 93 and bring ing the same into engagement with the catch 95 on the table carrier as soon as the carrier is in normal position. This movement also positions the arm 116 for the later operation of the transporting fingers. The roller 130 also climbs out of the recess 131 of the cam 83, thus revolving the shaft 90 and throwing back the arms 133 and 137, so that the fin gers 117 are lowered into engagement with the edge of paper on the table and the nose of the paper holder 134 is retracted. At about this time, the cam 96 commences to rock the lever 98 and to thus swing the cradle down upon the paper on the table. When the cradle reaches its lowermost position, it is held down by engagement with the catch 105 on the table front. The paper holder 106 presses lightly upon the paper on the table. In the latter part of the movement, the stops 40 on the arms 39 engage the arms 38 and move the arms with the presser devices carried thereby down to follow the paper carried by the transporting device and press the same closely against the negative. As soon as the arms 38 commence to move, the cams 44 on the presser frames swing the frames toward one another and into horizontal position. During the early part of the movement, the roller 121 rides over a projection 83 on the cam 83 and the arm 120 is thereby rocked to slightly rotate the shaft 92 and consequently to rock the arm 119 and lower the fingers 117 in their longitudinal. direction. This brings the upper or free extremities of the fingers to a position slightly above the level of the top sheet on the table, and the completion of this movement about synchronizes with the lowering of these fingers by oscillation of the shaft 90 when the roller 130 climbs out of the cam notch 131.

At the commencement of the return stroke, the paper transporting means, the paper holding means and cradle, the table and the fingers are about in the positions shown in Figure 6. During the commencement of the return movement, the presser plates swing upwardly and rise and the paper is carried up between them by the transporting means. The roller 121 climbs the projection 83* of the revolving cam 83 and operates to lift the fingers 117 in their longitudinal directions. The rubber tips of these fingers being in frictional engagement with the edge of the top sheet on the table, this sheet is lifted above the others as shown in Figure 7. The roller 130 then descends into the notch. 131 of its cam and turns the shaft 129, so that the arms 133 and 137 lift the fingers 117 away from the edge of the paper and at the same time release the separator 134 for movement by its spring 136, so that its nose 135 projects under the lifted edge of the top sheet as shown in Figure 8. The fingers are lifted or moved forwardly to remove them from the path of the descending printed sheet in the transporting means. The transporting means is now in position between the upper ends of the arm extensions 103 and the arm 115 thereof engages the arm 116 to rock the shaft 114 and cams 115 and separate the fingers 112 from the fingers 111, so that upon further descent of the fingers, the inclined edges of the parts 103 draw the paper out from between the fingers. The fingers 111 continue to descend until the space between them is opposite the edge of the top sheet on the table which is held by the separator 134. Just before the fingers 111 and 112 come into this position,

the pin 87 on the cam 82 depresses the pawl 70 and releases the table carrier, which is drawn forward by its spring 68 to place the edge of the topmost sheet between the waiting spaced fingers 111 and 112. This forward movement of the table carrier disengages the catch 105 from the cradle which is then sharply raised by the spring 107 and thus releases the paper on the table. The forward movement of the table carrier also disengages the catch 95 from the lever 93, so that this lever is drawn sharply downward by its spring 96 and withdraws the arm 116 from engagement with the arm 115, thus releasing the spring fingers 112, so that they may close upon the fingers 111 and grip the paper. This part of the operation will be clearly seen from comparison of Figures 9 and 10.

Photoprint paper is all found with a slight curl in it due to the contraction of the emulsion in drying, the emulsion side of the paper being concave. As the paper naturally lies emulsion side up on the table 60, this curl will assist in the raising of the edge of the top sheet. When the machine is properly adjusted, the fingers 117 are in such relation to the normal upcurled edges of the paper on the table that they will not turn up the edge of a sheet which may happen to be inverted. This is due to the resistance of a down-curled sheet to upward bending and to the changed angle which the edge of the sheet makes with the fingers 117. Such failure of the machine to pick up a sheet will indicate to the operator that a sheet is inverted on the table and will thus avoid not only a waste of paper but an incorrect count of work turned out. The fingers 65, owing to their curvature, exert pressure practically on only the top sheet of the pile, so that there is no tendency for a lower sheet to be pressed against the lift ing fingers 117.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, paper transporting means adapted to grip the top sheet of a pile of paper and trans port the same to a printing point, said transporting means comprising an arm mounted for oscillating movement, sheet gripping fingers carried by the arm and means controlling the fingers to cause the fingers to grip or release a sheet inserted therebetween, means for raising one edge of the top sheet of the pile from the remainder of the pile, separate means for holding a sheet edge raised upon retreat of the raising means and means to move said sheet edgewise to insert the same between the fingers of the transporting means.

2. In a machine of the class described, means for transporting the top sheet of a pile of paper to and from a printing point, and a printed paper receiver automatically movable into position to receive printed paper from the transporting means and subsequently automatically movable into posi tion to receive a printed sheet from the transporting means and to hold the top sheet of a pile of paper in position for subsequent engagement by said transporting means, the carrier being subsequently automatically movable to discharge the printed sheet and liberate unprinted paper for movement by said transporting means.

3. In a machine of the class described, means to support a pile of paper, means to transport sheets singly from said pile to a printing point and back, and a printed paper receiver automatically movable into position over the pile to receive printed paper, said paper supporting means being automatically movable to carry paper thereon into engageable relation with the transporting means and to release the receiver for the discharge of printed paper and the liberation of paper on the support.

4. In a machine of the class described, a paper support, means to hold paper on said support, means engageable with the edge of the top sheet of a pile of paper on the support to separate the same from the pile, means interposable between a separated sheet and the pile, a paper transporting means movable into position to grip the raised edge of the top sheet, and means for moving the support toward the transferring means to bring the paper into engageable relation with the transporting means and to disengage the paper holding means and liberate the top sheet for transportation.

5. In a machine of the class described, a paper transporting means comprising an arm mounted for oscillating movement, sheet gripping fingers carried by the arm, cam members controlling said fingers to cause the same to grip or release a sheet in serted therebetween, means for supporting a pile of sheets in the path of movement of said transporting means, means for raising the edge of the top sheet only of the pile for movement between the separated fingers of the transporting means and means to move the paper edgewise into engagement between the fingers immediately prior to closing of the fingers by the aforementioned cam members.

6. In a machine of the class described, an oscillatable paper support, a paper transporting device, means normally holding the support out of the path of the transporting device, means to position the top sheet of a pile of paper on said support for engagement with the transporting device, means carried by the transporting device for releasing the support for movement to engage papers thereon with the transporting device, and means carried by the transporting device for returning the support to its original position.

7. In combination with a device according to claim 10, means normally engageable With the support to hold paper during positioning for engagement With the transporting means, said means being disengageable by the support on movement to release paper to the transporting means.

8. In a machine of the class described, a paper support, an oscillating paper transporting means including resiliently mounted separable fingers, means for separating said fingers held in finger separating position by engagement With the paper support, and means for moving the support to bring paper thereon into engagement between the separated fingers of the transporting means and to release the finger separating means, whereby said fingers Will close upon a sheet of paper, and means for automatically restoring the paper support and finger separating means to normal.

9. In a machine of the class described, a paper support, means movable relatively thereto and engageable With the edge of the top sheet of a pile of paper on the support and operable to raise the edge of said sheet, means for holding the top sheet of a pile separate from the remainder thereof, means automatically operable for lifting said paper raising means out of engagement With paper and for moving the holding means into position between a separated sheet and the pile, a paper transporting means, and means for moving the paper support to bring paper into engageable relation with the transporting means and to release the paper raising and paper holding means for return to intial position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MAURICE METZGER. 

